Taking care of a dog by yourself can be difficult, especially if you work away from home. If you want to have a life, and plan on going places where the dog can't go (depending on where you live, could be most places), then that means the dog is spending much of it's time alone.

I don't "go places." I'm not sure where people are getting the idea that I'm just going to throw a dog in my room and leave it there all day every day. In the OP, I provided the exact amount of time the dog would be left home during the week (6 hours a day, 4 days a week unless my LL goes out of town, and that's only happened twice in the year+ I've been living here). Then, I mentioned that weekends will be all dog, all the time. My life is very boring and dog-friendly: I go to work and come home, and go grocery shopping once every week or two. I don't go out, I wouldn't be introducing strange people into the environment. It would be me and the doglet at home anytime I'm not at work, honestly. Travel is highly stressful and not a relaxing activity for me, so all my vacations from work are staycations.

But per my previous post, I'm probably going to wait anyway. Just wanted to clear up that misconception.

My life is very boring and dog-friendly: I go to work and come home, and go grocery shopping once every week or two. I don't go out, I wouldn't be introducing strange people into the environment. It would be me and the doglet at home anytime I'm not at work, honestly.

Right now: your life could certainly change in the next 10 years. Anyone's could, but IIRC you're still in your 20s...so, especially yours.

*shrug* I was a cat person up until about age 30. Now I'm a dog person. Actually, I'm just a pug person. Pug > cats AND dogs.

funny me too .. had cats and dogs my whole life ... moved out when I was 19 had cats until i was 34 ... my oldest Sydney was 19 and passes at christmas time last year. in 2004 I got my first indoor dog (FAMILY dog) anyway ... wouldn't know what to do with out her... she is such a joy - even more then my cats (10 years ago I would have never thought that). Swore off cats until current BF moved in and low and behold he has 2 cats... they are growing on me (very sweet kittys they are) but I am dog lover at heart.... former catlover..... and I guess I could say I am a jack russell person...

You know, if most of the people here had their way, no one would have dogs unless they worked from home, did 2 hours of obedience work every day, went to the dog park twice a day, fed an all-raw diet, etc.

The truth of it is, most people don't have a perfect setup for pets. People have lives, and the pets are a part of it.

I have 6 dogs, 4 cats and 4 horses. I am gone from the house from 7:15 AM to 6:00 PM Monday through Friday. My animals are healthy, happy, spayed and neutered, vaccinated and sane. I do the best I can - the dogs have a dog door and can roam about an acre of yard. I feed breakfast in the morning. Mostly I bet they sleep all day when I'm at work. When I get home I feed the horses, feed the dogs, feed the cats, then feed myself. When I relax in the evenings I usually have a cat on my lap and all 6 dogs on the floor around me rotating who is getting petted at any given time.

Don't expect any dog to be perfect. Sometimes it will have accidents. Sometimes it may chew something. Knowing up front what your real no's are and explaining them to a rescue will help them find a dog that's best suited to your lifestyle.

If you love them and care for them, they'll love you back. Get yourself the dog.

Right now: your life could certainly change in the next 10 years. Anyone's could, but IIRC you're still in your 20s...so, especially yours.

I'm 28. I've been employed at the same place for nearly 4 years, so things are as stable as they really can be. Of course I could get hit by a car or lose my job tomorrow, but then so could anybody.

Quote:

Originally Posted by StGermain

You know, if most of the people here had their way, no one would have dogs unless they worked from home, did 2 hours of obedience work every day, went to the dog park twice a day, fed an all-raw diet, etc.

The truth of it is, most people don't have a perfect setup for pets. People have lives, and the pets are a part of it.

Yeah that's that extremist contingent. I have no truck with black-and-white thinking, so I'm not horribly bothered by it. Some people have no perspective, though. Thanks

There's a canine match for anyone who wants one. Just because someone isn't bursting at the seams with enthusiasm about what a treasure dogs are to mankind doesn't mean they would not make a great pet owner. Pounds are filled with dogs of all types that need loving homes. If you just limited pet adoption to people who love dogs like they would love their own children then many dogs would miss out. I'm sure you would make a great owner to an older mature dog that you had a chance to get to know first, which is great since many older dogs are harder to find homes for because they lost some of the cuteness factor.

Just don't put him on top of you car

***Took me a while to type. Looks like StGermain pretty much made the same point I was getting at.

You know, if most of the people here had their way, no one would have dogs unless they worked from home, did 2 hours of obedience work every day, went to the dog park twice a day, fed an all-raw diet, etc.

You are painting this as a black and white issue -- as if people are saying that if the setup isn't perfect, you shouldn't have a dog. Nobody is saying that.

The point is, the situation doesn't have to be perfect, but if it falls below a certain level, the experience will be unsatisfactory for both the owner and the dog. And it shouldn't be too big of a leap to see that too many people get dogs. Look how many people dump their dogs back at a shelter after it doesn't work out. Look how many people consider their dogs to be annoyances and regret getting one. Look how many dogs end up chained up where they won't trouble the owner. Clearly, these people would have been better off not getting dogs. Surely you can see the sense in that.

Quote:

The truth of it is, most people don't have a perfect setup for pets....I have 6 dogs, 4 cats and 4 horses. I am gone from the house from 7:15 AM to 6:00 PM Monday through Friday. My animals are healthy, happy, spayed and neutered, vaccinated and sane. I do the best I can - the dogs have a dog door and can roam about an acre of yard. I feed breakfast in the morning. Mostly I bet they sleep all day when I'm at work. When I get home I feed the horses, feed the dogs, feed the cats, then feed myself....

I do find it amusing that you present this picture of your own situation as an imperfect one that still works, and seem to be suggesting that therefore any other imperfect situation is fine to bring a dog into. Your dogs have a big yard, other dogs for company, a rural (guessing) area to live in, and an owner who clearly loves animals. That is a far cry from situations that other posters were warning about.

I'm 28. I've been employed at the same place for nearly 4 years, so things are as stable as they really can be. Of course I could get hit by a car or lose my job tomorrow, but then so could anybody.

Sorry, that's not at all what I was talking about: I meant your reference to never going out. People change, our needs change, our lives change. And what I meant by "especially you" is that our 20s/30s are often decades of self-exploration and -- in a totally non-condescending way -- maturation. I was certainly a different person at 38 (or even 35) than I was at 28, and I think many others would say the same. At your age, assuming that the parts of your life that are ok for a dog now (your lifestyle, your romantic status, your living situation, etc.) will never change is unrealistic, IMO.

Concur that you're probably set to be a pretty OK dog owner, and hanging out at the shelter checking out the grown-up dogs and/or fostering one for a while might be the best way to try out that hypothesis.

Friends of ours have a Shar Pei. Amazingly mellow dog - when someone comes to the door, she woofs a couple of times (she sees that as her job) but is otherwise VERY mellow. We've dogsat for them a few times and she's great company. She's a bit on the large side - I might be able to lift her if I had to, but she'd be heavy. She is on the larger side of the breed standard (might even be well outside it), for what that's worth weight-wise.

She does enjoy going ouit for long walks, which might not fit your lifestyle. She does like to run around in the yard (their house has a *small* fenced yard), so your yard would support that need, and walks wouldn't be as essential in that case (we don't have a fenced yard so walking is the only way to get her exercise when she's staying with us). She also tends to be fairly "needy" - got so upset when her humans tried kenneling her while on vacation, that she made herself sick (that's when we offered to dog-sit on occasion); when she stays with us, she follows me around EVERYWHERE (I think because I"m the closest thing to a familiar face and she misses her real people).

Other friends have a labradoodle. The dog is 3/4 poodle and 1/4 lab (I think, I may have the ratios reversed) and is also extremely mellow. I once walked up to their house to drop something off on their porch. The front door was open with just a storm door. She was standing there, looking curiously at me, wagged her tail, may have woofed once if even that much. That was a complete surprise: I was, after all, a complete stranger, on Her Property and surely warranted at least a scolding from her .

Again though, larger breed than I suspect you want.

And we were co-owners of a miniature schnauzer when I was growing up. Smart dog, but definitely yappy when someone came to the door. Loved to hunt - neighbors had no problems with rabbits eating their garden while our dog was on duty. Did *not* like small children - we had to keep her in another room when friends came by with their baby. Also very jealous when my then-boyfriend paid me undue attention. I don't know if this is a common failing with the breed; I've met others who were much mellower.

Cocker spaniels: Subject (I gather) to overbreeding. I shared a house with one many many years back. There was a hierarchy in that house and that damn dog made it quite clear to me, thankyouverymuch, that I was *not* above her in rank. Part of that was her owner, who would say in a singsongy voice "now that's not nice" whenever the dog snarled at me. It did not endear the breed to me. Again, I've met others who were much nicer animals.